Review of bioacoustical traits in the genus Physalaemus Fitzinger, 1826 (Anura: Leptodactylidae: Leiuperinae)
Author
Hepp, Fábio
Author
Pombal, José P.
text
Zootaxa
2020
2020-01-20
4725
1
1
106
journal article
24303
10.11646/zootaxa.4725.1.1
67d90a4f-f853-4561-ae9a-c0f596d948ca
1175-5326
3612996
B137F19A-2C50-476C-8F13-4F049253B361
Physalaemus lateristriga
(Steindachner, 1864)
We found a single call
type
for the species, referred to as call A. The call is composed of a single harmonic note with a long duration and a slight PAM (no silence intervals between pulses). It has irregular and strong PFM throughout the call. The bands have no general FM or only slight general FM, which is usually upward.
Call A (
Fig. 43
A–F and 42B).
We examined seven recordings, a total of 20 minutes, with
ca
. 160 calls from
16 males
. Only some of these calls were measured (see
Table 2
). Call duration varies from 1.330 to
3.746 s
. The call rise is restricted to the very beginning of the call, most of the call corresponding to the sustain (
Fig. 43C
). Call rise and fall are very short and similar to each other in duration. Sustain usually regular and almost flat (
Fig. 43C
), but some calls have convex or inclined segments, with amplitude gradually increasing towards its end (
Fig. 43A, D
). In some calls, there is a shallow valley at the beginning of the sustain (
Fig. 43A, C
). The amplitude peak is at around the middle or at the end of the call duration. The envelope of the call varies from rectangular (
Fig. 43C
) to triangular (pointed left;
Fig. 43A, D
). More than 50 % of the call energy is concentrated in 39 % of the call duration around the amplitude peak. The call has a slight PAM (silence intervals absent between peaks;
Fig. 43A, D
). The rate of the PAM is
ca.
8 Hz, forming
ca.
29 cycles throughout the call. The cycle rise and fall are similar and the amplitude peak is at the middle of the cycle duration. The call has a harmonic series (
Fig. 42B
). The fundamental frequency is
ca.
170 Hz. The first five harmonics are usually absent in the audiospectrogram or with very low energy. There are
ca.
eight adjacent emphasized harmonics. The wave periods are regular and harmonics are clear throughout the call. Subharmonics (f
0
1/2) are present at the beginning of some calls (
Fig. 43B, F
). The dominant frequency varies from
ca
.
1590 to 1840
Hz (
Fig. 43B
). The dominant harmonic varies from the ninth to the 13
th
, but it is usually the ninth or 10
th
(
Fig. 42B
). There is no clear shift in the relative energy between bands throughout the call. Most of the call energy is between
1100 and 2150
Hz (seven harmonics). Calls usually lack a clear general FM (
Fig. 43B, E
). In some calls, a slight up or downward general FM is observed, usually upward. A short downward FM is frequently present at the end of the call (
Fig. 43E
). Additionally, there is a strong PFM throughout the call, which is usually independent (
Fig. 43C, E
), but it is directly proportional and synchronic to PAM when it is present (
Fig. 43A, B
).